Using this algorithm, we demonstrate repeatable high performance for years after implantation in two monkeys, thereby increasing the clinical viability of neural prostheses

Two monkeys! Read that again. Slowly. Sound it out. T W O. Tee Double You Oh. Ok, that doesn't make sense. Just read it as two monkeys. Or, is that two monkey. But in case you missed it 2 monkeys have been implanted and this increases the viability. Such a sample size is incredible, really. This is shattering. Just think what a million monkeys could do! Probably write some arbitrary text... such as the complete works of William Shakespeare. Just the thought is humbling.

Before some idiot monkey savant comes along and says that would require infinite time, just remember that the researchers implanted stuff into the monkeys, thus reducing the time required. Additionally, the researchers demonstrators demonstrated their expectationally high performance when it comes to implanting stuff into the monkeys. They did it for years before their willies fell off. Dedication. That's what's missing from most of the youth of today: dedication. I commend these researchers. Not only did t

Using this algorithm, we demonstrate repeatable high performance for years after implantation in two monkeys, thereby increasing the clinical viability of neural prostheses

Two monkeys! Read that again. Slowly. Sound it out. T W O. Tee Double You Oh. Ok, that doesn't make sense. Just read it as two monkeys. Or, is that two monkey. But in case you missed it 2 monkeys have been implanted and this increases the viability. Such a sample size is incredible, really. This is shattering. Just think what a million monkeys could do! Probably write some arbitrary text... such as the complete works of William Shakespeare. Just the thought is humbling.

Before some idiot monkey savant comes along and says that would require infinite time, just remember that the researchers implanted stuff into the monkeys, thus reducing the time required. Additionally, the researchers demonstrators demonstrated their expectationally high performance when it comes to implanting stuff into the monkeys. They did it for years before their willies fell off. Dedication. That's what's missing from most of the youth of today: dedication. I commend these researchers. Not only did they keep repeating the impregnation procedure, but they did it for years!

Shit. I am logged in. Ok, which monkey has the cookie? C'mon. Own up... I will free willie if you do. Willie for cookie. Please?

Consider just how far we've come since 1992, by 2034 we'd be edging very close to nanobot level technology and our understanding of neuroscience can't be overstated enough judging by the last decade of progress. With this kind of early cross over between tech and medicine it's unavoidable to think you could do without a single upgrade.

The only nueroprosthetics that comes to mind where this might not be the case are cochlear implants.

If it takes 10-20 years to get this improvement it's not what I call rapid progress.

In 1947 Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier. 1953 first supersonic fighters (USSR and USA). In 1961 Yuri Gagarin orbited the planet. In 1969 the USA landed people on the moon AND got them back safely. In 1969 we got Concorde and the 747 jumbo jet. That's rapid progress.

With the current rate of BCI progress most of us will be either dead or too old by the time practical and safe ones hit the market.

FWIW we don't seem to be making that much progress on the aerospace front either - where are those prototype space stations with artificial gravity?

Maybe all the geniuses in the current generations are busy making iphone apps or legally swindling people in finance.

If it takes 10-20 years to get this improvement it's not what I call rapid progress.

In 1947 Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier. 1953 first supersonic fighters (USSR and USA). In 1961 Yuri Gagarin orbited the planet. In 1969 the USA landed people on the moon AND got them back safely. In 1969 we got Concorde and the 747 jumbo jet. That's rapid progress.

And to continue your analogy, that rapid progress in transportation technology is what allowed us to fulfill everyone's dream of flying cars and Moon vacations by the year 2000. Right?

It's also what made space transportation so very "practical and safe", as exemplified by Challenger and Columbia.

Some technologies progress by slow, incremental refinement. Some progress by leaps and bounds. Some progress by one-off stunts, done once (or a few times) and then not repeated for decades.

That's only BCI, I did state neuroscience progress. You really can't concentrate on such a specific field to come up with possible trends in the overall field. It'll be like concentrating on the airplane engine in your examples rather than the field of aeronautics.

Maybe it's because I've been researching this daily for the past few months (must get a job....), but if you look beyond wikipedia and at the release of studies related to neuroscience it's actually scary to me how fast we're progressing. It's

Yea I want a larger testing samples and longer time frame for my brain implants.

I do not want to have to upgrade my implant every 20 years let alone 5

There is a problem with this. You don't want to wait 20 years if the technology is available now and you really need it (as in quadriplegic). So you will have to settle with two or three years in animal tests and with tissue samples showing no measurable damage to the brain tissue.

Worst of cases, if you are quadriplegic and using this technology, probably the independence gained with it would be worth one operation every five years.

I am honoured that I have been moderated as a troll, but this isn't really a troll. Troll comments are much more subtle. I guess nearly everyone has forgotten what an internet troll really is, so it's no surprise really.

i swear i read an article in discover magazine (i know, a magazine, it was that long ago) about some researcher that had hooked up electrodes to a patient and taught them how to control a mouse cursor, and later and electric wheelchair with their mind. it became and autonomic function, just like moving your arm (i hate the term "thought controlled", you dont really "think" about moving, its subconscious function) and it was done using a basic EEG(?). am i imagining this, or does anyone else remember this as well? its quite possible that this is a completely incorrect memory thought, i was a kid at the time and i read a lot of sci-fi, so its very possible my memories of real-sci have mixed with my memories of sci-fi